Crypto.com scores approval from Singapore finance regulators

Published at: June 22, 2022

Major Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com received in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for its Major Payment Institution License. The license will let the platform provide a range of payment services in the country. 

On Wednesday, June 22, Crypto.com announced the approval from MAS, which is necessary for offering the Digital Payment Token services within the framework of Singapore’s Payment Services Act.

In the announcement, Kris Marszalek, co-founder and CEO of Crypto.com, confirmed the company’s commitment to collaborating with the MAS:

“The Monetary Authority of Singapore sets a high regulatory bar that cultivates innovation while protecting consumers, and their in-principle approval of our application reflects the trusted and secure platform we have worked diligently to build. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the MAS and deepening our roots in Singapore — a flourishing market for fintech innovation, renowned for its well-regulated business environment.”

The Payment Service Act came into force in 2019, introducing the categories of small and major payment institutions. To obtain the following licenses, the enterprises are obliged to comply with a number of legal demands as well as act in accordance with Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism legislation.

Related: Why Singapore is one of the most crypto-friendly countries

In June, Crypto.com reported the provisional approval of its virtual asset license by the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority. Back in 2021, the exchange became the first cryptocurrency company to receive Malta’s Class 3 Virtual Financial Assets License.

Recently the company saw a launch of a $100 million accelerator program to fast-track decentralized finance, Web3 and metaverse projects by its blockchain ecosystem, Cronos. Some of the prominent investment partners backing the Cronos Accelerator Program include Mechanism Capital, Spartan Labs, IOSG Ventures, OK Blockchain Capital, AP Capital, Altcoin Buzz and Dorahacks.

Tags
Related Posts
OTC crypto shops flood Hong Kong, but regulations may impact their presence
Hong Kong, one of the most significant and leading financial centers in the world, has played a large role in the development of cryptocurrencies. For instance, the Chinese territory has birthed some of the most established and successful crypto companies to date including the crypto derivatives exchange FTX, along with the digital asset platform Crypto.com. Yet, as trillions of dollars are traded regularly through crypto exchanges founded in Hong Kong, the “Vertical City” also contains an abundance of physical over-the-counter crypto shops as well. Henri Arslanian, PwC crypto lead and former chairman of the Fintech Association of Hong Kong, told …
Bitcoin / Oct. 24, 2021
Why Singapore is one of the most crypto-friendly countries
In her monthly Expert Take column, Selva Ozelli, an international tax attorney and CPA, covers the intersection between emerging technologies and sustainability, and provides the latest developments around taxes, AML/CFT regulations and legal issues affecting crypto and blockchain. At the end of 2021 — a year in which Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) rose 100% and 300%, respectively — global crypto rating company Coincub ranked Singapore as the most crypto-friendly country in the world due to its “robust economy, positive legislative environment, and high rate of cryptocurrency adoption.” Cryptocurrency consumer protection law Singapore’s regulators have done a great deal to …
Adoption / Feb. 12, 2022
India’s crypto tax provides little legal clarity for traders and exchanges
Earlier in February, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a tax proposal that would bring the relatively unregulated digital asset space under the purview of tax authorities. The proposal includes a 30% income tax on crypto returns and a 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) by crypto exchanges on transactions above 10,000 Indian rupees ($133). The announcement came during the parliamentary budget session for 2022, and the government has already set April 1 as a deadline for crypto exchanges to comply with the new tax regulations. The introduction of the crypto tax was widely misreported as a form of legal …
Adoption / Feb. 17, 2022
Brain drain: India’s crypto tax forces budding crypto projects to move
India’s 30% crypto tax came into law on March 31 and was effective April 1, despite warnings from several stakeholders about its possible ill impact on the budding crypto industry. As predicted, within just a couple of weeks of the new crypto tax law coming into effect, trading volume across major crypto exchanges dropped as much as 90%. The decline in trading activity was attributed to traders either moving their funds away from centralized crypto exchanges or adopting a holding strategy over trading. Many crypto exchanges were hoping that a crypto tax would at least offer some form of recognition …
Adoption / April 20, 2022
Singaporean investors’ appetite for crypto is key to mainstream adoption — Survey
As Singapore continues to play an active role in boosting crypto adoption across the Asia-Pacific region, the country’s first licensed crypto exchange Independent Reserve conducted a retail-focused survey to better understand the underlying potential of the regulated market. Independent Reserve’s survey — conducted across all age groups and genders of the Singapore population — revealed a strong affinity for various financial opportunities brought forward by decentralized finance (DeFi) and other investment opportunities. As explained by Raks Sondhi, managing director of Independent Reserve Singapore, the country’s rapid crypto adoption is driven by high level of trust and confidence in the future …
Adoption / April 28, 2022